Support for rear axle differentials



NOV- 7 1950 A.IG. HERREsHoFF 2,529,392

SUPPORT FOR REAR DIFFERENTIALS Filed Dec. 23. 1947 z INVENTOR.

afro/awry@ NNN MW Patented Nov. 7, 1.950

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE' SUPPORT FOR REAR AXLE DIFFERENTIALS Alexander G. Herreshoff, lGrosse Pointe, Mich., assignor to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich., a corporation of Delaware l Application December 23, 1947, Serial No. '793,467

(Cl. 'I4-713) 9 Claims. 1

This application relates to an arrangement for supporting a differential-drive mechanism in a vehicle axle.

The proper design of the gears constituting a differential drive for vehicle wheels presents problems, because when these gears are supported in known manner in a housing containing axles connecting the gears and the vehicle wheels, the stresses imposed by the wheels through the housing on the gears are large and require the gears to be quite large.

I have solved this difficulty by supporting a carrier for the differential-drive gears in such a way that very little of the stress imposed on the axle housing is transmitted to the carrier and the gears. The support of the carrier is such that the carrier is so structurally independent of the axle housing as to make the gears independent of the axle housing. The

gear carrier is thus made structurally rigid andv provides more rigid support of the gears enabling them to be lighter.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved arrangement of axle housing and differential-drive carrier.

Other objects will appear from the disclosure.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a detail sectional view of a novel arrangement for supporting differential gears for a vehicle drive, according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a schematic View ofa portion of a vehicle showing the Way in which the novel arrangement of the present invention is to vbe put to use.

The reference character IIJ designates a rear axle housing of a vehicle. The axle housing has a bulge II at an intermediate portion on one side in which there is an opening I2 bordered by a flange I3. On the opposite side of an axle housing is an opening I4 bordered by a flange I5. The flange I3 is reinforced by a ring I5 secured to the flange I3 by soldering or Welding indicated at Il. A tube I8 is secured to the axle housing II by bolts I9 and nuts 28. The bolts pass through ange I3, reinforcing ring I6, and a flange 2| formed on the tube I8. v

The flange I is reinforced by a ring 22 bonded thereto by soldering or Welding. A flange 23 on a member 25' forming part of a differential carrier 25 engages the flange I5, being secured thereto by screws 25. As seen in Fig. 2, the member 2E is secured to cooperating member 2l also form- 2 4 ing part of the differential carrier 25, by screws 23. Between the carrier parts 24 and 2'I is mounted a pair of conical roller bearings .253, which journal a ycase 3l). A ring gear 3l is secured by bolts 32 and nuts 33 to the case 35. A stub shaft 3f! is journalled in the case 30 and carries a pair of differential pinions 35 meshing with differential pinions 36 keyed to inner adjacent ends of axles 3l and 38. The ring gear 3l meshes with a pinion 39 formed on the end of a shaft t!) splined as indicated at 4I to one end of a drive shaft 42. Conical roller bearings I3 and tl journal the shaft 4E) in a sleeve-like extension I5 on the carrier part 2l. A seal 4'6 is provided at the end of the sleeve-like extension t5. A nut 41 is threaded on the shaft Il to hold the shaft in proper position inthe sleeve-like extension 15. The drive shaft 2 is adapted to be driven through appropriate means, not illustrated in detail, by an engine 48. The outer ends of the axles 3l and 33 are suitably connected to wheels 49 and 5i).

It is to be noted that, although the sleeve-like extension 45 projects from the axle housing It into the adjacent end of the tube I3, neither the sleeve-like extension 45 nor the remainder 4of the carrier part 2l is supported in the end of the tube I8 or in the flanged opening I2 on thatside of the axle housing I (I, Fig. 1 shows the sleeve-like extension 45 to be spaced from the tube I8 and the flange I2, to which the tube I8 is attached.

The differential carrier and the gears positioned therein are supported entirely at the rear side of the axle housing Ill, i. e., by securement of the fiange 23 of the carrier part 24 to the flange I5 surround-ing the opening I4 at the rear side of the axle housing. Because the differential carrier 25 is supported at only one side of the axle housing, the differential carrierv and the parts carried thereby are not subjected to the stress imposed upon the axle housing I8, for example, through the wheels 49 and 50. Thus the differential carrier is made rigid and can better support the gears therein, which may be made lighter, since they are subjected to smaller stresses. Y

I claim: v

1. In an assembly comprising an axle housing having rst and second openings at opposite sides, a shaft housing having one end detachably connected to the first opening in the axle housing, a drive shaft extending along and within the shaft housing, axles extending in opposite directions along and within the. axle housing from the region of the rst and second openings, means connecting an end of the drive shaft and adjacent ends of the axles in a differential drive, a structure comprising a sleeve-like portion projecting through said rst opening into the shaft housing with predetermined lateral clearance at all points therealong and supporting, said end of the drive shaft and a remaining portion supporting said adjacent ends of the axles and the differential-drive means and passing through the, second opening, the combination therewith, of meansattaching and supporting the said structure only to and on the regionof the axle housing surrounding the second opening.

2. In an assembly comprising an axle housinghaving rst and secondv openings at opposite sides, a shaft housing having one end connected to the rst opening in the axle housing, a shaft extending along and within the shaft housing and having one end in the axle housing, axles extending in opposite directions along and within the axle housing from the region of the first and second openings, means connecting the said one end of the shaft and adjacent ends of the axles in a differential drive, a structure supporting said end of the shaft and said adjacent ends of the axles and the differential-drive means and projecting into the said one end of the shaft housing in spaced relation thereto, the combination therewith, of means attaching and supporting the said structure only to and on the region of the axle housing surrounding the second openlng.

3.r In an assembly comprising an axle housing having first and second openings at opposite sides, a shaft housing having one end detachably connected to the iirst opening in the axle housing, a drive shaft extending along and within the shaft housing, axles extending in opposite directions along and within the axle housing from the region of the first and second openings, means connecting an end of the drive shaft and adjacent ends of the axles in a diiferential drive, a structure supporting said end of the drive shaft and said adjacent ends of the axles and the differential-drive and having an attaching flange near one end extending outwardly beyond the rest of the structure, the combination therewith of means attaching the flange only to the regions of the axle housing surrounding the second opening on the outer side of the axle housing, the structure being free of attachment and support to and on the shaft housing and free of attachment and support to and on the axle housing other than by attachment of the flange as aforesaid.

4. In an assembly comprising an axle housing having an opening in one side, a shaft housing having one end connected to the said opening in the axle housing, a drive shaft extending along and Within the shaft housing and having a near end in said one end of the shaft housing, an extension shaft attached to said near end of the drive shaft and extending therefrom through said opening, a journal bearing span for the extension shaft disposed to lie on either side of the said opening, a seal on the extension shaft between the bearing span and near end of the drive shaft, axles extending along and within the axle housing in opposite directions from the region of the said opening, means connecting the extension shaft and adjacent ends of the axles in a dilerential drive, a stru-cture supporting said bearing span and seal, saidv adjacent ends of the axles, and the differential-drive means, the com- 4 bination therewith, of means providing the sole support for the said structure, the disposition of said means being confined to the side of the axle housing opposite the said opening.

5. In an assembly comprising an axle housing having an opening in one side, a shaft housing having one end connected to the said opening in the axle housing, a driveI shaftextending along and within the shaft housing and having an end in the axle housing, axles extending along and within the axle housing in opposite directions from the region of the said opening, means connecting an end of the drive shaft and adjacent ends of the axles in a differential drive, a structure supporting said end of the drive shaft, said adjacent ends of the axles, and the differential-drive means and extending into the said one-end of the shaft housing in spaced noncontacting relation thereto, the combination therewith of means attaching and supporting the said structure only to and on the side of the axle housing opposite the said opening.

6. An assembly comprising the combination with an axle housing having an` opening in one side, a drive shaft projecting generally transversely to the axle housing including a splined terminal portion and having associated therewith an attached extension shaft extending from said terminal portion through said opening to an upset end thereof, said upset end being provided with gear teeth formed thereon, axles extending along and within the axle housing in opposite directions from the region of the said opening, means drivingly connecting the gear teeth of the extension shaft and adjacent ends of the axles in a differential drive, and a structure supporting the extension shaft radially free of the opening together with the said adjacent ends of the axles and the differential-drive mechanism, of means attaching and supporting the said structure only to and on the side axle housing opposite the said opening.

7. In an assembly, an axle housing, a drive shaft extending generally transversely to the axle housing and having a splined end adjacent the axle housing and having a sleeve-like extension passing freely through said opening in unrestrained relation, said extension shaft being journalled in said sleeve-like extension onv either side of said opening in a manner to nd axial restraint in either direction therein and transverse restraint thereby independent of said' housing adjacent said opening, and axles extending along and within the axle housing in opposite directions from the region adjacent said upset end, means connecting the said end of the extension shaft and adjacent ends of the axles in a differential drive, a structure supporting said adjacent ends of the axles and the differentialdrive means and having a sleeve-like extension passing freely through said opening in unrestrained relation, said extension shaft being journalled in said sleeve-like extension on either side of said opening in a manner to find axial restraint in either direction therein and transverse restraintthereby independent of said housing adjacent said opening, and means attaching` and supporting the said structure only to and on one side of the axle housing.

8. In an assembly comprising an axle housing having rst and second openings at opposite sides, an input shaft projecting generally transversely of the axle housing into the rst opening and having one end in the region between the rst and second openings, axles extending along and within the axle housing in opposite directions from the region of the first and second openings, means connecting the said end of the input shaft and adjacent ends of the axles in a differential drive, a structure including thrust bearings on either side of the first opening for supporting the said end of the shaft and further disposed in normal tangency to the plane of the second opening for supporting the said adjacent ends of the axle and the differential-drive mechanism, the combination therewith, of means attaching and supporting the said structure only to and on the portions of the axle housing surrounding the second opening.

9. In an assembly comprising an axle housing having rst and second openings at opposite sides, an input shaft extending generally transversely of the axle housing and having an end projecting into the rst opening, axles extending along and within the axle housing in opposite directions from the region of the first and second openings, means connecting the said end of the input shaft and adjacent ends of the axles in a diierential drive, a structure supporting the said adjacent ends of the axle and the differential-drive mechanism and having annular Webs extending outwardly beyond the remainder of the structure to locations one adjacent the REFERENCES CITED rl'he following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 989,689 Berger Apr. 18, 1911 1,902,858 McCue Sept. 12, 1911 1,076,560 Duffy Oct. 21, 1913 1,331,662 Neuteboorn Feb. 24 1920 FOREIGN PATENTS l VNumber Country Date 133,191 Great Britain Oct. 9, 1919 155,196 Great Britain Apr. 6, 1922 

